Wearable power cord

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for wearing a power cord includes an elongate power cord having a length that extends from a first end having a power connector to a second end having a device connector. The apparatus also includes an elastic component and a housing for holding the power connector and the device connector therein. The apparatus has a wearing configuration and a charging configuration. In the wearing configuration, the device connector and the power connector are disposed in the housing and the apparatus is secured to the user. In the charging configuration, the device connector extends out of the housing and connects to a portable electronic device, and the power connector extends out of the housing and connects to a power supply. In another embodiment, the power cord has a power bank on a first end of the cord rather than a power connector. The power bank is stored inside the housing.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of, and claims priority to, U.S.Provisional Application No. 62/948,030, filed on Dec. 13, 2019 entitled“Wearable Power Cord.” That application is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety for all purposes.

BACKGROUND Field of the Art

This disclosure relates to fashion accessory devices that have afunctional use. Specifically, the present disclosure is for a fashionaccessory that may be used to charge electronic computing devices.

Discussion of the State of the Art

Mobile electronic computing devices, such as laptops, cell phones,tablets, digital cameras, etc. have proliferated in the last decade.These devices are typically very portable and, as such, these devicestend to be carried by users in a variety of different on-the-gosituations. For example, users carry their mobile electronic computingdevices to restaurants, bars, hikes, coffee shops etc. Mobile electroniccomputing devices typically are comprised of batteries that discharge topower these devices without requiring a wired or wireless connection toa power source (as long as the battery is temporarily charged withelectronic power).

A limitation of present battery technology is that batteries must becharged from another power source via a connection means to connect thepower source to the mobile electronic devices. As such, users typicallycharge their devices when they are near a secondary power source (suchas an external battery, another computing device, or a wall outlet,etc.), and a connection means to connect their mobile electronic devicesto the power source (such as a power cord or a wireless charging pad,etc.). However, the batteries in these mobile electronic devicessometimes discharge fully when users do not have access to a powersource and/or a connection means. Without access to either one of these,users are unable to use their electronic devices often when they needthese devices the most-on-the-go. In today's reality, being unable touse a mobile electronic computing device means that users arepotentially without access to safety services such as being able to callor communicate with police or emergency management systems, without theability to request transportation means, without the ability to navigateto a safe space such as their homes, etc. As such, the need for havingready access to a power source and a connection means has become moreimportant than ever.

The electronics industry has tried to alleviate this problem by floodingthe consumer marketplace with external power accessories such asportable battery packs, power cords, and protective cases withintegrated batteries. However, users often forget to carry these deviceswith them when they need them the most (i.e. when they are on-the-go).In other instances, users forego carrying these external poweraccessories because they do not have any place or any means to stow thembecause these accessories take up too much room and/or weigh too much.

SUMMARY

The inventor has conceived and reduced to practice an apparatus that isgenerally always available. For example, in one embodiment, theinventive apparatus enables a user to wear a power cord around a portionof the users' body and/or their clothing, thereby making it easy for auser to carry the inventive apparatus with him or her regardless ofwhether the user has access to storage and/or stowing facilities such asbags, pockets, etc. In one instance, the inventive apparatus may beattached to the user's hair, waist, wrists, etc.

Another feature of the present invention is that the inventive apparatushas a secondary functional use, which also improves the odds that a userwill have access to the inventive apparatus when he or she is on-the-go.For example, the present invention may help a user keep his or her hairin place such that it does not get in the way and/or get in the users'eyes. In other instances, the present invention may be used as a belt toprevent the users' clothing from moving and/or falling.

Another feature of the present invention is that it may be used as afashion accessory, which also reduces the odds that the apparatus won'tbe available when the user needs it. In one instance, the apparatus maybe used a fashionable bracelet, necklace, belt, hair tie, etc.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

The accompanying drawings illustrate several embodiments and, togetherwith the description, serve to explain the principles of the inventionaccording to the embodiments. It will be appreciated by one skilled inthe art that the particular arrangements illustrated in the drawings aremerely exemplary and are not to be considered as limiting of the scopeof the invention or the claims herein in any way.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a wearable power cord apparatus, in accordancewith an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus from FIG. 1 in a wearingconfiguration, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the apparatus from FIGS. 1 and 2 in a chargingconfiguration, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4A is an unstretched configuration of a power cord and elasticcomponent for use in a wearable power cord apparatus, in accordance withan embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4B is a stretched configuration of a power cord and elasticcomponent for use in a wearable power cord apparatus, in accordance withan embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a housing for concealing power cordconnectors in a wearable power cord apparatus, in accordance with anembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a wearable power cord apparatus in a wearableconfiguration, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a wearable power cord apparatus in a wearableconfiguration, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of a wearable power cord apparatus in a chargingconfiguration, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional view of a power cord and elasticcomponent for use in a wearable power cord apparatus, in accordance withan embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The inventor has conceived and reduced to practice an apparatus forwearing a power source and/or a connection means (such as a power cord,Universal Serial Bus (USB) cord, etc.). In one embodiment of theinvention, the inventive apparatus may be comprised of an externalcasing, a cavity that may be disposed within the external casing, aretraction mechanism, one or more openings, and a connection means (suchas a power cord, USB cord, etc.). The various components allow the userto wear a power cord, thereby improving the likelihood that theapparatus will be available to the user when he or she needs iton-the-go. The term power cord is used generally herein, and may referto any cord or connection means that may be used to transfer electricityand/or data from one source to another.

The invention is described by reference to various elements herein. Itshould be noted, however, that although the various elements of theinventive apparatus are described separately below, the elements neednot necessarily be separate. The various embodiments may beinterconnected and may be cut out of a singular block or mold. Thevariety of different ways of forming an inventive apparatus, inaccordance with the disclosure herein, may be varied without departingfrom the scope of the invention.

Generally, one or more different embodiments may be described in thepresent application. Further, for one or more of the embodimentsdescribed herein, numerous alternative arrangements may be described; itshould be appreciated that these are presented for illustrative purposesonly and are not limiting of the embodiments contained herein or theclaims presented herein in any way. One or more of the arrangements maybe widely applicable to numerous embodiments, as may be readily apparentfrom the disclosure. In general, arrangements are described insufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice one ormore of the embodiments, and it should be appreciated that otherarrangements may be utilized and that structural changes may be madewithout departing from the scope of the embodiments. Particular featuresof one or more of the embodiments described herein may be described withreference to one or more particular embodiments or figures that form apart of the present disclosure, and in which are shown, by way ofillustration, specific arrangements of one or more of the aspects. Itshould be appreciated, however, that such features are not limited tousage in the one or more particular embodiments or figures withreference to which they are described. The present disclosure is neithera literal description of all arrangements of one or more of theembodiments nor a listing of features of one or more of the embodimentsthat must be present in all arrangements.

Headings of sections provided in this patent application and the titleof this patent application are for convenience only and are not to betaken as limiting the disclosure in any way.

Devices and parts that are connected to each other need not be incontinuous connection with each other, unless expressly specifiedotherwise. In addition, devices and parts that are connected with eachother may be connected directly or indirectly through one or moreconnection means or intermediaries.

A description of an aspect with several components in connection witheach other does not imply that all such components are required. To thecontrary, a variety of optional components may be described toillustrate a wide variety of possible embodiments and in order to morefully illustrate one or more embodiments. Similarly, although processsteps, method steps, or the like may be described in a sequential order,such processes and methods may generally be configured to work inalternate orders, unless specifically stated to the contrary. In otherwords, any sequence or order of steps that may be described in thispatent application does not, in and of itself, indicate a requirementthat the steps be performed in that order. The steps of describedprocesses may be performed in any order practical. Further, some stepsmay be performed simultaneously despite being described or implied asoccurring non-simultaneously (e.g., because one step is described afterthe other step). Moreover, the illustration of a process by itsdepiction in a drawing does not imply that the illustrated process isexclusive of other variations and modifications thereto, does not implythat the illustrated process or any of its steps are necessary to one ormore of the embodiments, and does not imply that the illustrated processis preferred. Also, steps are generally described once per aspect, butthis does not mean they must occur once, or that they may only occuronce each time a process, or method is carried out or executed. Somesteps may be omitted in some embodiments or some occurrences, or somesteps may be executed more than once in a given aspect or occurrence.

When a single device or article is described herein, it will be readilyapparent that more than one device or article may be used in place of asingle device or article. Similarly, where more than one device orarticle is described herein, it will be readily apparent that a singledevice or article may be used in place of the more than one device orarticle.

The functionality or the features of a device may be alternativelyembodied by one or more other devices that are not explicitly describedas having such functionality or features. Thus, other embodiments neednot include the device itself.

Techniques and mechanisms described or referenced herein will sometimesbe described in singular form for clarity. However, it should beappreciated that particular embodiments may include multiple iterationsof a technique or multiple instantiations of a mechanism unless notedotherwise. Alternate implementations are included within the scope ofvarious embodiments in which, for example, functions may be executed outof order from that shown or discussed, including substantiallyconcurrently or in reverse order, depending on the functionalityinvolved, as would be understood by those having ordinary skill in theart.

In one embodiment of the invention, the apparatus described herein mayconceal a connection means (such as a power cord) within an interiorchamber such that the apparatus may be used as a fashion accessorywithout reducing its aesthetic appeal. In one instance, a user may usethe apparatus by extending one end of the connection means out from theinterior chamber and through an opening such that the connection meanscan be connected to a power source. Similarly, a second end of theconnection means may be extended from the interior chamber through anopening to connect it (the connection means) to a mobile electroniccomputing device that needs power, data, or any other information thatmay be supplied by the connection means.

In another embodiment, the invention may comprise an adapter that hastwo ends, wherein each end is comprised of a connection means. Theadapter and/or each connection means may connect to a loop element thatmay or may not have an interior chamber. In this embodiment, an interiorchamber may not be required because of the absence of the power cord. Inother embodiments, the adapter may connect to a variety of othercompatible items and/or accessories such as bracelets, necklaces, hairties, etc. In this instance, a user may use the apparatus by simplyremoving the loop element and connecting each connection means to apower source and/or an electronic mobile computing device.

In one embodiment, the inventive apparatus is comprised of an externalcasing. The external casing may conceal the connection means when theconnection means is connected to the external casing. For instance, theexternal casing may partially or fully conceal the connection means whenthe connection means is hooked/inserted/placed/attached to one or moreportions of the external casing. More specifically, the external casingmay conceal a power cord when the power cord is placed within aninterior chamber that may be comprised within the external casing.

In one embodiment, the external casing may be comprised of materialsthat support a variety of different fashion accessories. For example, ifthe apparatus is designed to be a hair tie, then the external casing maybe comprised of soft, stretchy material that may expand and contract byapplication of force and/or removal of force. In another embodiment, ifthe apparatus is designed to be a belt, the external casing may becomprised of tougher material that may resist flexion and/or expansion.As described herein the material that may be used is variable and maydepend on the particular application that the apparatus is intended foras would be readily apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art,including, for example, material that is waterproof, weather resistant,etc.

The shape of the external casing may be variable, and may be variedbased on specific use cases. In some instances, the external casing maybe ring shaped or toroidal, such as, when the apparatus is intended tobe a hair tie or a belt. In other instances, the external casing may besquare or rectangular when the apparatus is intended to be, for example,a bracelet, etc. In other instances, the external casing may not haveany particular shape and the shape of the apparatus may be determined byhow the user uses the apparatus and/or how gravity and other forcesinteract with the apparatus.

In one embodiment, the external casing may be comprised of an interiorchamber, which is hereinafter also referred to as a cavity. The cavitymay be disposed within the external casing to conceal the connectionmeans. In one instance the cavity may extend all or a portion of theexternal casing to conceal the entire length of the power cord when thepower cord is placed within the apparatus. In other instances, thecavity may be disposed along the side of the external casing, whereinoverhangs and other concealment techniques may partially conceal theconnection means/power cord when the connection means is attached to theapparatus.

In one exemplary embodiment, the apparatus may be further comprised of aretraction mechanism that permits the connection means (power cord) toextend away from the apparatus and/or retract into the interior chambersuch that it (the power cord) may be concealed when not in use. Theretraction mechanism may permit the power cord to extend and/or retractor contract by using a variety of different techniques, which will befamiliar to a person of ordinary skill in the art, including, withoutlimitation, spool, coil, crumple, retract, etc. The extension/retractionaction permits a user to switch from using the apparatus as a powercord, to using the apparatus for a secondary purpose (such as, forexample, as a hair tie, as a fashion accessory, etc.).

The inventive apparatus may also be comprised of a connection means(herein also referred to as a cord and/or power cord, USB cord, etc.).The connection means may be comprised of one or more connection ports(such as a lightning port, USB C port, micro USB port, USB port, etc.),and a cord that connects the two ports. In one embodiment of theinvention, the cord may be placed within the cavity of the externalcasing of the inventive apparatus. This feature of the invention permitsthe cord to be hidden or concealed within the apparatus when it is notin use. A variety of different cords may be used without departing fromthe scope of the invention, including, without limitation, power cords,charging cords, connector cords, adaptor cords, splitters, lengthextenders, cords with wireless contact pins, etc. In one embodiment, thecasing around the connection ports may be designed to blend-in with theexternal casing such that the connection ports appear integrated intothe apparatus and do not appear immediately visible until the ports (andthe cord) are pulled out of the apparatus.

The cord may integrate or work in concert with the retraction mechanismsuch that the cord may extend out of or away from the apparatus and/orretract back into the apparatus with the assistance of the retractionmechanism as described herein. In an instance where a spoolingretraction mechanism is used, the cord may wrap around a spool when itis retracting and may unspool when the cord is extended out. Otheractions may be used, as would be apparent to a person of ordinary skillin the art, depending on the type of retraction mechanism that is used.In one embodiment of the invention, the cord may be flexible andextendible to enable the cord to stretch when sufficient pressure isapplied.

In one embodiment of the invention, the apparatus may be furthercomprised of one or more openings to allow for the user to access theconnection ports and/or the cord that may be placed within the cavity.In an exemplary embodiment of the inventive apparatus, the externalcasing may include as many opening as the number of connection portsthat are made available to the user. For example, if the apparatus iscomprised of two connection ports (wherein one connects to a powersource and the other connects to the user's electronic mobile computingdevice) then two openings may be provided; one for each end of the cordto exit. If however, the apparatus is comprised of one connection port(wherein one port connects to the user's electronic mobile computingdevice, and the other end is wired to a battery pack, which is describedin greater detail below) then a single opening may be provided. A usermay push and/or pull the one or more ends of the cord through theopenings to use the cord, and when the user wants to use the apparatusfor its secondary use (as a hair tie, for example), the cord retractsback through the openings into the cavity and/or may be pushed and/orpulled back into the openings and into the cavity.

In addition to the elements described above, the inventive apparatus mayhave a mechanism to charge the cord. A variety of charging mechanismsmay be used, without departing from the scope of the invention as wouldbe readily apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art, including,for example, battery power, solar power, kinetic energy, wall charging,device-to-device charging, magnetic energy, heat transfer, staticenergy, energy created by friction, etc. A variety of energy transfermechanisms may be used without departing from the scope of theinvention, as would be readily apparent to a person of ordinary skill inthe art, including, for example, via a physical connection, via wirelesscharging, etc. In one embodiment, the power source may be furthercomprised of another device that holds, transfers, absorbs, power ordata, including any independently developed future technologies,including devices that use a wireless transfer protocol for using onebattery to charge another battery.

In addition to charging the power cord, the inventive apparatus may havean energy storage mechanism. The energy storage mechanism may be a powerbank or battery, or may be any storage mechanism that would be apparentto one skilled in the art.

In one embodiment, the apparatus may be comprised of an adapter (thatdoes not have a cord comprised within it but may nonetheless perform thefunctions provided herein). For example, the adapter may be comprised ofan adapter that has two ends, wherein each end is comprised of aconnection means. The adapter and/or each connection means may connectto a loop element that may or may not have an interior chamber. In thisembodiment, an interior chamber may not be required because of theabsence of the power cord. In other embodiments, the adapter may connectto a variety of other compatible items and/or accessories such asbracelets, necklaces, hair ties, etc. In this instance, a user may usethe apparatus by simply removing the loop element and connecting eachconnection means to a power source and/or an electronic mobile computingdevice.

The inventive apparatus may include an ornamental design or may beintegrated into existing items. For clarity and example purposes, theinventive apparatus may be integrated into or include an ornamentaldesign of, and not limited by, any of the following: a hair tie,wristband, headband, pet collar, bow, hair clip, button, jewelry, shoeaccessories, shoes, sport band, bags, hats, ties, pedometers, watches,belts, belt buckles, pendants, keychains, scrunchies, ear muffs,glasses, clothing, any pockets, or any other design that may be apparentto one skilled in the art.

In addition to the above elements, the inventive apparatus may alsoinclude the capacity to hold and transfer data through the cord,wirelessly, or in any other way that would be apparent to one skilled inthe art. The data may include, but is not limited to, GPS data, photosor files.

As described herein, the present invention may be embodied in anyconnection mechanism that would enable a user to make a prior art cord,adapter, etc. wearable in accordance with the elements described herein.

Although specific components are described herein, it is important tonote that they are exemplary in nature and may vary as would beappreciated by someone skilled in the art.

FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the inventiveapparatus 100. More specifically, FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 illustrate anexemplary embodiment of the inventive apparatus 100, wherein theinventive apparatus 100 is a hair tie 104 (also known as a “scrunchie”).As illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the inventive apparatus 100 and/orthe hair tie 104 may be comprised of a power cord 102 that is concealedinside fabric 106 of a fabric-covered elastic hair tie 104.

The power cord 102 may be comprised of a conventional power cord forcharging a mobile electronic device, and may include an elongate cordhaving connectors 110, 112 on each end of the cord. In FIGS. 1, 2, and3, the connectors 110, and 112 are illustrated in phantom in a stackedconfiguration positioned inside a cover or housing 120.

The connector 110 on a first end of the power cord 102 is configured forconnecting to a power source. For example, the power source connector110 may be a USB, USB-C, or the like, including power source connectorsthat may be developed or sold in the future.

The connector 112 on a second end of the power cord 102 is configuredfor connecting to a mobile electronic device, such as a cell phone,tablet, watch, etc. As such, the device connector 112 may be a lightningconnector, USB, USB-C, micro USB, or the like, including deviceconnectors that have not yet been developed, but may be available in thefuture.

In one alternative embodiment (not shown), rather than having a powersource connector 110, the power cord 102 includes a portable powersource on the first end of the elongate cord. The power source is aportable power bank, such as a rechargeable battery, a solar power bank,a kinetic power bank, or the like, including power banks that have notyet been developed but may be available in the future. In thisembodiment, the power source on the first end of the elongate cord 102remains inside the scrunchie 104 and only the device connector 112 ispulled out of the scrunchie 104 to be connected to a mobile device,which can then be charged using the portable power source.

When a user is wearing the scrunchie 104, the power cord 102 issubstantially, if not completely, concealed inside the fabric 106. Thewearing configuration is shown in FIG. 2. The fabric cover 106 of thescrunchie 104 includes a slit or opening 130 through which theconnectors 110, 112 can be pulled out of the fabric covering 106 to beused during device charging. Thus, the connectors 110, 112 appearintegrated into the scrunchie 104 and are substantially not visibleuntil they are pulled out of the scrunchie 104 through the opening 130.

When the scrunchie 104 is in the charging configuration, as shown inFIG. 3, the power cord 102 extends out of the scrunchie 104 and theconnectors 110, 112 on the ends of the power cord 102 can be removedfrom the housing 120 and connected, respectively, to a power supply andto a mobile electronic device. It would be readily understood by one ofordinary skill in the art that any effective mechanisms for storing thepower cord 102, extending the power cord 102, and retracting the powercord 102 back into the fabric covering 106 may be used without departingfrom the scope of the present invention. The mechanisms described beloware merely exemplary in nature and it should be readily apparent thatother mechanisms fall within the scope of the present invention.

In addition to the fabric cover 106 and the power cord 102, thescrunchie 104 includes an elastic component that stretches and returnsto its normal shape when unstretched. In the embodiment shown in FIGS.1-3, the elastic component is an elastic ring 114, the entirety of whichis positioned inside the fabric cover 106. The elastic ring 114 is shownin phantom inside the fabric cover 106. The fabric cover 106 isessentially an elongated tube of material formed into a ring. Thecircumference of the fabric cover 106 is much larger than thecircumference of the elastic ring 114, which causes the fabric 106 to“scrunch” along the elastic ring 114 disposed inside the fabric covering106. The elastic ring 114 expands and contracts and is configured tosecure the scrunchie 104 to the hair of the user. In other words, theelastic ring 114 can be stretched out in order to wrap around the user'shair and then is released to contract around the user's hair in asubstantially fixed position.

In another embodiment, depicted in FIGS. 4A and 4B, rather than theelastic component being a ring, the elastic component is an elongatedelastic strip 134 and the power cord 102 is secured to the elastic strip134. As shown in FIG. 4A, the power cord 102 is helically wrapped aroundthe elastic strip 134. The power cord 102 is secured to the elasticstrip 134 near the first and second ends of the power cord 102. Securingmechanisms 136, such as clamps, crimps, staples, adhesive, or the like,are used to secure the power cord 102 to the elongated elastic strip134. When the elastic strip 134 is stretched, as shown in FIG. 4B, thepower cord 102 also elongates due to the helical wrapping of the powercord 102 around the elastic strip 134. The distance between the turns inthe coil windings of the power cord 102 increases when the elastic strip134 is stretched. In the compressed, or unstretched configuration, shownin FIG. 4A, the distance between the turns in the coil of the power cord102 is d₁, as illustrated in FIG. 4A, and the distance between the turnsin the coil of the power cord 102 in the stretched configuration is d₂,as depicted in FIG. 4B. The stretched distance between the coils, d₂, isgreater than the compressed distance between the coils, d₁.

In yet another embodiment (not shown), the power cord 102 itself has aspiral, or coiled, configuration, similar to a coiled telephone cord fora landline telephone. The spiraled power cord is configured to stretchwhen pulled and to resume its normal shape when no pressure or pullingis applied. Similar to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 4A and 4B,the distance between the windings in the coil is increased in thestretched configuration and decreased in the unstretched configuration.In this embodiment, the elasticity provided by the coiled configurationof the power cord serves as the elastic component, and as such, thecoiled power cord is also the elastic component of the scrunchie 104. Inone embodiment, the stretched distance between the coils may be reducedby pushing the power cord 102 in a direction that would cause the spiralto collapse.

Referring back to FIGS. 1-3, the power cord 102 is folded so that theconnectors 110, 112 are adjacent to each other, creating a loop 116 thatis comprised of the power cord 102. In one embodiment, the power cord102 may be folded in half so that the connectors 110, 112 are adjacentto each other, creating a loop 116 at the other end (i.e., the middle)of the power cord 102. The folded power cord 102 is disposed inside thefabric cover 106 with the connectors 110, 112 extending through the loop116. In this manner, when the connectors 110, 112 are pulled out of thefabric cover 106, the circumference of the portion of the power cord 102that remains inside the fabric cover 106 is reduced, as shown in FIG. 3.

The cord 102 and connectors 110, 112 can be retracted back into thefabric covering 106 by pulling the scrunchie 104 radially outwards backto the enlarged diameter shown in FIG. 2. Alternatively, as would bereadily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, a retractionmechanism can be used to retract the cord 102 back into the fabriccovering 106. For example, the retraction mechanism may be disposedinside the fabric covering 106 and may be automatic or actuated by theuser. Such a retraction mechanism may include a spool, spring, coil,crumple, or the like.

The connectors 110, 112 are disposed within the housing 120 to concealthe connectors 110, 112 when the apparatus 100 is in the wearingconfiguration shown in FIG. 2. That is, when the apparatus 100 is beingworn by a user (e.g., in the user's hair, around the user's wrist,etc.), the connectors 110, 112 are concealed and held in place insidethe housing 120. One of ordinary skill in the art would readilyunderstand that the housing 120 may be any configuration that concealsthe connectors 110, 112 and allows a user to access the connectors 110,112 when needed.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, the housing 120 is aflexible loop of material that wraps around the connectors 110, 112. Thehousing 120 is similar to a fabric loop tag that is often found in anarticle of clothing. The housing 120 is in the closed configuration inFIGS. 1-3. FIGS. 4A and 4B show the housing 120 in an openconfiguration. The housing 120 is in the closed configuration when thescrunchie 104 is being worn by the user. The housing 120 is in the openconfiguration when the scrunchie 104 is in the charging configuration.With the housing 120 in the open configuration, a user is able to accessthe connectors 110, 112 in order to plug the connectors 110, 112 into apower supply and a portable device, respectively.

The housing 120 includes a first end 122 and a second end 124, depictedin FIGS. 4A and 4B. The housing 120 is closed by coupling the first end122 and the second end 124 together. The housing 120 is opened bydisengaging the second end 124 from the first end 122. In the openconfiguration, the housing 120 is a flat, substantially rectangularpiece of material. In the closed configuration, the housing 120 forms aloop. The first end 122 of the housing 120 may be removably coupled tothe second end 124 of the housing by any effective coupling means, suchas hook and loop fasteners, a snap, a button, a hook and eye closure, amagnetic closure, a clasp, a snap hook, or the like. In the embodimentsshown in FIGS. 1-4B, the first end 122 of the housing 120 is coupled tothe second end 124 of the housing 120 with a retainer sleeve 126. Thefirst end 122 of the housing 120 is coupled to the power cord 102 at alocation adjacent to one of the connectors 110, 112. In the exampleshown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the first end 122 of the housing 120 iscoupled to the power cord 102 in a location that is adjacent to thepower supply connector 110. However, it will be readily appreciated thatthe first end 122 of the housing 120 could alternatively be coupled tothe power cord 102 at a location adjacent to the device connector 112.The first end 122 of the housing 120 is preferably fixedly connected tothe power cord 102 using, for example, a retainer sleeve 128 as shown inFIGS. 4A, 4B, and 5. Alternatively, the first end 122 of the housing 120may be coupled to the power cord 102 using any other effective couplingmeans, such as a crimp, clamp, clasp, adhesive, staple, or the like. Inthe embodiments shown in FIGS. 1-5, the housing 120 is closed byremovably coupling the second end 124 of the housing to the first end122 of the housing 120 using a retainer sleeve 126. In particular, thesecond end 124 of the housing 120 may be tucked into the retainer sleeve126, or the retainer sleeve 126 may be applied after the second end 124is brought into contact with the first end 122 of the housing 120.

The housing 120 extends out of the slit or opening 130 in the fabriccover 106. When the scrunchie 104 is in the wearable configuration, thehousing 120 is preferably retained in a position that is easilyaccessible to the user and is also inconspicuous so that the housing 120is easily hidden when the user is wearing the scrunchie 104. The opening130 may be only slightly larger than the housing 120 so that the housing120 may be disposed in the opening by friction fit, as shown in FIG. 2.The scrunchie 104 may include a retaining mechanism (not shown) forretaining the housing 120 in a position that is partially inside thefabric cover 106 and partially protruding out of the opening 130 in thefabric cover 106. Such a position is depicted in FIG. 2. The retainingmechanism may be a snap, hook and loop closure, hook and eye closure,button, clasp, snap hook, or any similar mechanism that allows thehousing 120 to be removably coupled to the fabric cover 106 during thewearing configuration. Alternatively, the opening 130 may be smallerthan the housing 120 to prevent the housing 120 from being pulled intothe fabric covering 106 through the opening 130.

In another embodiment, shown in FIGS. 6-9, a wearable apparatus 200 is astretchable hair band or hair tie 204 that includes a power cord 202concealed within the hair tie 204. In particular, the power cord 202includes an elongate cord having a power supply connector 210 on one endand a device connector 212 on the other, opposite end. The connectors210, 212 are hidden within a housing 220 when the apparatus 200 is in awearing configuration. The connectors 210, 212 are removed or withdrawnfrom the housing 220 when the apparatus 220 is in a chargingconfiguration.

In one alternative embodiment (not shown), rather than having a powersupply connector 210, the power cord 202 includes a portable powersource on the first end of the elongate cord. The power source is aportable power bank, such as a rechargeable battery, a solar power bank,a kinetic power bank, or the like, including power banks that have notyet been developed but may be available in the future. In thisembodiment, the power source on the first end of the elongate cordremains inside the housing 220 and only the device connector 212 isremoved from the housing 220 to be connected to a mobile device so thatthe device can be charged using the portable power source.

The hair tie 204 includes an elastic component that allows the hair tie204 to stretch and return to its original, unstretched shape. In oneembodiment, shown in FIG. 9, the elastic component is an elongateelastic string or strip 214 and the power cord 202 is helically wrappedaround the elastic strip 214. The elastic strip 214 and the power cord202 wrapped around the elastic strip 214 are covered with a stretchyfabric sheath 216. The stretchy fabric sheath 216 is different from thefabric covering 106 of the previous embodiment in that the stretchyfabric sheath 216 is in direct contact with the power cord 202 and theelastic strip 214. That is, the inner surface of the stretchy fabricsheath 216 is in direct, constant contact with the power cord 202 andthe elastic strip 214. The stretchy fabric sheath 216 is more like acoating surrounding the elastic strip 214 and the power cord 202,whereas the fabric covering 106 is a tubular piece that contains theelastic component and the power cord, but has extra room therein forscrunching around the power cord and the elastic component.

In another embodiment (not shown), rather than including a separateelastic component, the power cord itself has elasticity. For example,the power cord may have a spiral, or coiled, configuration, similar to acoiled telephone cord for a landline telephone. The spiraled power cordis configured to stretch when pulled and to resume its normal shape whenno pressure or pulling is applied. The distance between the windings inthe coil is increased in the stretched configuration and decreased inthe unstretched configuration. In this embodiment, the elasticityprovided by the coiled configuration of the power cord serves as theelastic component, and as such, the coiled power cord is also theelastic component of the apparatus 200.

As illustrated in FIGS. 6, 7, and 8, the housing 220 may be a decorativeshell that includes openings and/or compartments or slots for holdingthe connectors 210 and/or 212 in place. In one embodiment, the housing220 is a rigid, decorative shell. In other embodiments, the housing 220may be semi-rigid, or a soft shell made out of appropriate material,such as fabric, wicker, plastic, rubber, etc. The housing 220 mayinclude at least one compartment or slot for holding at least oneconnector in place. As illustrated if FIG. 7, the housing 220 iscomprised of a compartment for housing connectors 210, 212 in place. Aswould be readily understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art,multiple interior compartments may be used including, for example butnot limited to, one compartment for each connector 210 and 212.

As depicted in FIG. 7, the connectors 210, 212 are disposed within thehousing 220 when the apparatus 200 is in the wearing configuration. Theconnectors 210, 212 may be removed from the housing 220 or extendthrough the housing 220 and exit through openings 222 and 223. Theopenings 222 and 223 may be disposed on one or more sides of the housing220 when the apparatus 200 is in the charging configuration. As would beunderstood by a person of ordinary skill in the art, a variety ofdifferent types of openings may be used without departing from the scopeof the invention. Moreover, the placement of the openings may be variedwithout departing from the scope of the invention. In one embodiment,the openings 222 and 223 may be on opposite sides of the housing 220,which may allow the connectors 210 and 212 to enter and/or exit fromeither direction of the housing.

In one embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 7, opening 222 may permitconnector 210 to exit the housing 220. Opening 223 may enable connector212 to exit the opening. In this configuration, connector 210 and 212may exit their respective openings 222 and 223 by being pushed out ofthe housing (as opposed to being pulled out the housing 220). In otherembodiments, wherein the openings are disposed differently, theconnectors may exit the housing by being pulled out from the openings(as opposed to being pushed out).

FIG. 8 illustrates an embodiment wherein connector 210 is pushed out ofthe housing 220 via an opening 223, and connector 212 is pushed into thehousing 220 via the opening 224. In this configuration, the housing 220remains attached to the hair tie 204 even when the apparatus is in acharging configuration (and as such, a user would not have to worryabout losing or misplacing the housing 220 when the apparatus is in acharging configuration). In other words, as illustrated in FIG. 8, thehousing 220 remains attached to the hair tie 204 even when the twoconnectors 210 and 212 are removed from the housing 220. As illustratedin FIG. 8, the connector 210 may slide in a distal and/or proximaldirection relative to the housing 220 (including within the housing 220)because the hair tie 204 may slide-ably move through openings 223 and225, which are disposed on opposite ends of the housing 220. The opening223 may enable the connector 210 to enter and/or exit the housing 220when hair tie is pushed or pulled in the appropriate direction. Theopening 225, however, may only permit the wire portion of the hair tie204 to move in distal and/or proximal direction when the hair tie ispushed or pulled in an appropriate direction. The opening 225 may alsoprevent the connector 210 from exiting the housing via the opening 225.For example, opening 225 may be smaller in diameter than the connector210. In this manner, the housing 220 remains coupled to the hair tie 204even when the apparatus is used in a charging configuration.

The connectors 210, 212 may be held in place in the housing 220 byfriction fit or may be clicked into place in slots the housing 220. Itshould be readily understood by one of ordinary skill in the art thatany housing configuration for holding and storing the connectors 210,212 may be used without departing from the scope of the invention. Forexample, in configuration of the invention, the housing may be aremovable hollow shell having an interior cavity that is sized andshaped to hold the connectors 210, 212 therein.

Additional Considerations

As used herein any reference to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment”means that a particular element, feature, structure, or characteristicdescribed in connection with the embodiment is included in at least oneembodiment. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in variousplaces in the specification are not necessarily all referring to thesame embodiment.

Some embodiments may be described using the expression “coupled” and“connected” along with their derivatives. For example, some embodimentsmay be described using the term “coupled” to indicate that two or moreelements are in direct physical or electrical contact. The term“coupled,” however, may also mean that two or more elements are not indirect contact with each other, but yet still co-operate or interactwith each other. The embodiments are not limited in this context.

As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,”“including,” “has,” “having” or any other variation thereof, areintended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process,method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is notnecessarily limited to only those elements but may include otherelements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method,article, or apparatus. Further, unless expressly stated to the contrary,“or” refers to an inclusive or and not to an exclusive or. For example,a condition A or B is satisfied by any one of the following: A is true(or present) and B is false (or not present), A is false (or notpresent) and B is true (or present), and both A and B are true (orpresent).

In addition, use of the “a” or “an” are employed to describe elementsand components of the embodiments herein. This is done merely forconvenience and to give a general sense of the invention. Thisdescription should be read to include one or at least one and thesingular also includes the plural unless it is obvious that it is meantotherwise.

Upon reading this disclosure, those of skill in the art will appreciatestill additional alternative structural and functional designs for asystem and a process for creating an interactive message through thedisclosed principles herein. Thus, while particular embodiments andapplications have been illustrated and described, it is to be understoodthat the disclosed embodiments are not limited to the preciseconstruction and components disclosed herein. Various apparentmodifications, changes and variations may be made in the arrangement,operation and details of the method and apparatus disclosed hereinwithout departing from the spirit and scope defined in the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for wearing a power cord comprising:an elongate power cord having a length that extends from a first end toa second end, wherein the first end comprises a power connector and thesecond end comprises a device connector; an elastic component configuredto expand and contract and to secure the apparatus to a user; and ahousing configured for holding the power connector and the deviceconnector therein, wherein the apparatus has a wearing configuration anda charging configuration, wherein, in the wearing configuration, thedevice connector and the power connector are disposed in the housing andthe apparatus is secured to the user, wherein, in the chargingconfiguration, the device connector extends out of the housing andconnects to a portable electronic device, and wherein, in the chargingconfiguration, the power connector extends out of the housing andconnects to a power supply.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, furthercomprising a tubular fabric covering, wherein the elastic component isan elastic ring that is entirely disposed within the fabric covering. 3.The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the tubular fabric covering is sizedand shaped to cover substantially all of the length of the power cordwhen the apparatus is in the wearing configuration.
 4. The apparatus ofclaim 2, wherein the fabric covering comprises an opening, and at leasta portion of the housing extends out of the opening.
 5. The apparatus ofclaim 2, wherein the housing comprises a flexible loop of materialconfigured to cover the device connector and the power connector.
 6. Theapparatus of claim 5, wherein the flexible loop of material comprises afirst end and a second end, and wherein the flexible loop is formed bycoupling the first end to the second end, thereby closing the housingwhen the device connector and the power connector are disposed withinthe housing.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the flexible loop ofmaterial is configured so that the device connector and the powerconnector are accessible to a user by disengaging the flexible loopfirst end from the flexible loop second end to open the housing.
 8. Theapparatus of claim 5, wherein the flexible loop is coupled to the powercord in a location that is adjacent to the power cord first end or thepower cord second end.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the deviceconnector is one of: a micro USB connector, a USB-A connector, a USB-Bconnector, a USB-C connector, and a lightning connector.
 10. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the power connector is one of: a micro USBconnector, a USB-A connector, a USB-B connector, a USB-C connector, anda lightning connector.
 11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the powercord is helically wrapped around the elastic component so that the powercord elongates when the elastic component is stretched.
 12. Theapparatus of claim 11, further comprising a stretchy fabric sheathsurrounding the power cord and the elastic component.
 13. The apparatusof claim 11, wherein the housing comprises a shell having a first slotconfigured for holding the device connector therein and a second slotconfigured for holding the power connector therein.
 14. The apparatus ofclaim 13, wherein, in the wearing configuration, the device connector isdisposed in the first slot and the power connector is disposed in thesecond slot.
 15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein, in the chargingconfiguration, the device connector is removed from the first slot andthe power connector is removed from the second slot.
 16. An apparatusfor wearing a power cord comprising: an elongate power cord having alength that extends from a first end to a second end, wherein the firstend comprises a power source and the second end comprises a deviceconnector; an elastic component configured to expand and contract and tosecure the apparatus to a user; and a housing configured for holding thedevice connector therein, wherein the apparatus has a wearingconfiguration and a charging configuration, wherein, in the wearingconfiguration, the device connector is disposed in the housing and theapparatus is secured to the user, wherein, in the chargingconfiguration, the device connector extends out of the housing andconnects to a portable electronic device.
 17. The apparatus of claim 16,wherein the power source is a portable power bank.
 18. The apparatus ofclaim 17, wherein the portable power bank is a rechargeable battery, asolar power bank, or a kinetic power bank.
 19. The apparatus of claim16, further comprising a tubular fabric covering having an opening,wherein the elastic component and the elongate power cord are disposedinside the tubular fabric covering, and wherein the housing extends outof the opening in the tubular fabric covering.
 20. The apparatus ofclaim 16, wherein the housing is configured to open so that a user isable to access the device connector by opening the housing.